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An anesthesiologist helps a patient prepare for anesthesia.

Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine

An anesthesiologist helps a patient prepare for anesthesia.
At Children’s National, our family-focused care ensures that patient and parent comfort stays at the forefront of the care we provide. Before a child undergoes any surgery, diagnostic test or therapy, we make sure both the patient and family know what to expect with anesthesia.  

Our Providers

Our pediatric specialists provide personalized care for your child’s physical, mental and emotional health needs.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, please call a member of the Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine team at 202-476-2025.

Our pediatric anesthesiologists will guide you through the anesthesia process, using their expertise in caring for the particular psychological, physical and physiological needs of infants, children and teens. They are physicians who have completed fellowship training in pediatric anesthesia, training beyond the regular course of instruction for an anesthesiologist. This ensures your child is cared for in the safest environment possible.

Our Services

Our specialists provide surgical anesthesia and post-operative pain management for all young patients undergoing surgery at Children’s National.  

Children’s anesthesiologists provide anesthesia and analgesia for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. When a procedure, such as a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), requires sedation or anesthesia, we work closely with our colleagues in Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology to help make the patient more comfortable. We also help hematology and oncology patients undergoing procedures such as bone marrow aspiration and cancer therapies.

Regional anesthesia and patient-controlled analgesia are available. The division will consult on malignant hyperthermia, pulmonary insufficiency and pain management. Pre-operative consultation from referring physicians is welcomed and encouraged. Pre-anesthetic preparation of the child and parents is stressed. The division works with and has faculty in the Pain Medicine Program, which cares for acute and chronic pain issues in both inpatients and outpatients.

When medically appropriate, you may stay with a younger child while the anesthesia is administered and until your child falls asleep. We continuously monitor your child at all phases of surgery and in recovery, making sure your child is safe, that we have answered any questions you have about your child’s procedure and that you stay informed about your child's condition.

Children's National continues to receive accolades from organizations in the healthcare field, and our surgery expertise is among the areas so recognized. We are one of only 12 children’s hospitals in the country to attain Level 1 Surgery Verification from the American College of Surgeons. This distinction recognizes surgery centers who have improved surgical quality, prevented complications, reduced costs and saved lives.

Highlights of Our Program

Cardiac Anesthesiologists

Anesthesia Pain Medicine Service

Educational Programs

Fellowship

The Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship at Children’s National Hospital is affiliated with The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to provide fellows with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to become outstanding pediatric anesthesiologists.

Observership and Research

We invite motivated students to spend time in the Division of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Perioperative Medicine, shadowing an anesthesiologist in the clinical setting or volunteering as a research assistant on a specific project.

Additional Contact Information

To contact the Pain Clinic, call 202-476-3273.
To contact the Preoperative Care Clinic, call 202-476-7622.

Family Resources

A Provider Prepares a Child for Surgery.

Having Surgery: What to Expect

When preparing for your child’s surgery, it is important that you understand the process and feel comfortable with our facility. View our resources to help prepare you and your child before, during and after surgery.

A Provider Prepares a Child for Surgery.

Resources

Child Life and Integrative Care Services

Resources

Having Surgery - Anesthesiology